National Endowment for the Humanities
The Victor's Virtue: A Cultural History of Sport
Pupils explore the meaning of the ancient Greek word aretê and the place of virtue in historical athletic competition and modern sports. They begin by reading an informational text on the goal of sports in education, and then evaluate...
Gobal Oneness Project
Sports for Social Change
After watching a short online film about a soccer player Nolusindiso Plaatje and his help with the Grassroot Soccer program, a community education effort aimed at spreading awareness about HIV/AIDS prevention, use a lesson plan to prompt...
National Woman's History Museum
Women, Education, Sports, and Title IX
Title IX did more than change the face of sports in the United States. This landmark legislation also impacted women in education and politics. High schoolers examine the text of the legislation and the 2016 Senate resolution and watch...
Curated OER
A Question of Faith?
Should organized prayer be prohibited at high school sporting events? Students explore their own feelings about prayer in school-sponsored events, before discussing the recent Supreme Court decision banning public prayer at high school...
Curated OER
Pay-to-play a costly solution
Learners write a news feature or editorial about students paying money to participate in high school athletics. Learners interview members of the school community to find out the situation in their school.
Indiana Department of Education
Voting: It's Not a Spectator Sport!
Why is it important to vote? Who is eligible to vote? Why is it that some eligible voters do not vote? Class members conduct interviews with adults and other school mates before researching the eligibility requirements for their state,...
US Holocaust Museum
Nazi Olympics: Berlin 1936
The Olympics are about more than sports—at times, the games are also a place of racism and prejudice! Pupils investigate the 1936 Olympics in Berlin, Germany. They analyze the meaning behind the materials included in the United States...
Curated OER
A Question of Sport
Students explore the controversy surrounding performance-enhancing drugs. In this current events lesson, students discuss the prevalence of drug use in the sports world and create poetry about sports. Older students may design a brochure...
Curated OER
Kokoyakyu
Students video tape a sports function of their choice. They work together to discuss how a sporting event can be an expression of a country's culture. They view a video about basketball in Japan and discuss.
Curated OER
Hair a disruption or personal expression?
When does hair (or clothing) disrupt the school process? This question is the topic of the argumentative paper your class with write. They read and react to an article about a boy who was expelled from school for sporting a Mohawk, then...
Curated OER
Connecting School Meals and Classroom Learning Making Breakfast Count
Students investigate the significance of a healthy breakfast. In this nutrition activity, students participate in an activity that enables them to assess their own eating patterns. Students also analyze breakfast menus to determine...
Peace Corps
Features of Culture
Explore the melting pot in your own classroom with a lesson that focuses on cultural beliefs, traditions, and traits. Middle and high schoolers examine the details of their own identified cultures before sharing them with peers, and...
Saskatchewan Elocution and Debate Association
Debate Games and Activities Guide
A must-have resource for classes that engage in debate, this packet contains 20 detailed plans for debate games and activities. Everything from how to select evidence to support a position, to structuring a debate on which candy bar is...
Curated OER
Athletes And Gay Teammates
Learners research the issues surrounding gay athletes and the way their leagues, their teammates and their fans react. They interview local athletes about their views and present their findings to the class.
Curated OER
Individual Rights at School
Students understand that disputes over law and individual rights touch all phases of daily life, even athletic and recreational activities
National First Ladies' Library
The Sport of Kings: Horse Racing in America
Pupils examine the history of horse racing. They discuss their experiences with horse racing and conduct Internet research. They select a topic related to the history of horse racing, write and present a report, and read and summarize a...
Curated OER
Segregation in Prince Edward County
Eleventh graders examine the history of integration as it applied to Virginia high school in Prince Edward County. They evaluate a map of Virginia counties, read and analyze a first person narrative of a young girl involved in a boycott...
Curated OER
36 Public Policy Questions to Energize Your Government/History Classroom Debates
Need topics that are sure to engage your debaters? This list of public policy questions includes such topics as school mascots, regulation of major league baseball, physician-assisted suicide, and violence in video games. A great...
National First Ladies' Library
Who’s on First? in the End Zone? at the net? in the Ring?
Pupils are introduced to some sport heroes from the 20th century. They are told that although many sports have their own Halls of Fame, there is no one list of the top 10 athletes from the 20th century. It is their job to research famous...
Curated OER
Fair and Impartial
Students compare the meaning of the words fair and impartial by putting together a graphic organizer. In this fair and impartial lesson plan, students use 2 sports examples to compare the meanings of fair and impartial.
Personal Genetics Education Project
Protecting Athletes with Genetic Conditions: Sickle Cell Trait
Should school and professional teams test athletes for sickle cell trait? Will it protect them by providing knowledge or lead to discrimination by not allowing them to participate in sports? After learning about this genetic disorder,...
Curated OER
Famous People of the Twenties
Meet some of the people who made headlines during the 1920s. You'll be introduced to names of famous musicians, politicians, bad guys, athletes, reformers, and writers of the time. Images of each individual along with a brief about their...
Curated OER
Four Corners Debate
Should the student population wear uniforms to school? Pupils express whether they strongly agree, agree, disagree, or strongly disagree with a controversial statement, moving to a designated corner of the room to indicate their stance....
Anti-Defamation League
Should Washington's NFL Team Change Their Name?
"What's in a name?" Is it irrelevant, as Juliet suggests in Shakespeare's play, or is nomenclature deeply significant? Young scholars weigh in on the debate by examining the controversy over the NFL's Washington, D.C. Redskins. Groups...